At Salty Girl Seafood, we are proud to be part of a movement that is changing what it means to be part of the 1%. A new generation of organizations that is defined not but what it has, but by what it gives away. We are one of thousands of businesses, non-profits, and consumers coming together to financially commit to creating a healthy planet by donating 1% of our annual revenue to organizations creating positive environmental change. Together, members of 1% for the planet have contributed more than 100 million dollars to fund sustainability initiatives that protect the natural world around us.

When I was a kid, my dad used to tell us, “you can be part of the problem, or you can be part of the solution.” That was the cornerstone of my upbringing, and a guiding principle for how we run our company. While the mission and vision of Salty Girl is to drivepositivechange in fisheries around the world, we recognize that the global impact we want to make will be realized only when we reach a certain scale. So we have incorporated ways to be part of the solution at every stage of our growth, every step along the way.

Contribution doesn’t have to be something you do once you’ve “made it.” It’s something you can build into your company (and your life, for that matter) now. It’s not about saying, “We’ll be successful one day…then we’ll give back.” It’s about recognizing that success is the long game. For a company that relies on a natural resource for our livelihood, actively supporting the waters from where we source began on day one.

When I wake up each morning, I’m motivated by the BIG vision and mission of Salty Girl—to drive sustainability and to have a positive global impact on fisheries and the communities that rely on them. But when my head hits the pillow every night, I’m confident that we took a small step towards being part of the solution. The more businesses out there integrating positive social and environmental impact into their daily operations, the greater difference we can make, together. Many small steps can lead to some pretty big change.

1% for the Planet was founded to build a network of businesses committed to donating 1% of sales to positive environmental change. If you are an entrepreneur or business owner, please consider joining us and 1200 companies around the world in empowering business and nonprofits to drive big, positive change. Join at onepercentfortheplanet.org/join/